Netflix’s ‘Crash Landing on You’ humanizes North Korea
By Anna Feng, Carlmont High School
May 28, 2020
Out of all the k-dramas I've seen so far in 2020, Netflix's 2019 release "Crash Landing on You" is by far the most unique. The series follows a wealthy heiress named Yoon Se-Ri, who lands in North Korea after a paragliding accident. She is found by Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok of Company 5, the military...
‘Mrs. America’ reifies relevance of ERA
By Sophie Casey '20, Staples High School
May 26, 2020
For me, “Mrs. America” is a gradually unfurling, forgone tragedy. I already know the ill-fated story of the fall of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In the margins of a 10th grade notebook, I scribbled annotations on our country’s abiding inability to ensure equality on the basis of sex. ...
What’s not to like about Project Daisy?
By Grace Nugent, McCallum High School
May 22, 2020
“He loves me...he loves me not” goes the age-old childhood game, also known as effeuiller la marguerite, which originated in France long before the thought of social media was born. The game involves picking petals off a daisy to find out if one’s love interest loves them back. But now it’s mostly...
REVIEW: Never Have I Ever: The other side of The Valley
By Margaret Huang, Pleasant Valley High School - IA
May 15, 2020
The raunchy party game Never Have I Ever is best known for its role in revealing the most unsuspecting people’s most risque hidden sides. Befitting the divulging nature of the party game, Netflix’s new original series, created by Mindy Kaling, effortlessly delivers a refreshing take on the tried...
Stealing art does not just mean reposting
By Miki Nguyen, Carlmont High School
May 12, 2020
When people think of an art thief, most think of either physical art thieves who steal paintings or people who repost someone else's art without credit. Both are harmful, but other types of art theft go beyond simply reposting the work of another without accredidation. Reposting is the leading way...
Welcome to the “dreamer’s hotel”
By Rachel Laposka, Starr's Mill High School
May 1, 2020
Musical genres are weird: there is a vast list of them, most of which are not as widely known as others. A majority of those genres derive from more commonly known genres. Ones like rock, pop, rap, EDM, and classical are often blended together to form a whole new genre. In hindsight, blending polar...
Tara Westover’s ‘Educated’ redefines what an education is
By Jacqueline Barba, Downers Grove South High School
April 28, 2020
In the era of remote learning, where many students are finding it difficult to focus on school work, much less teach themselves new material, many are now struggling to understand what exactly learning is when it isn’t the traditional format they’re accustomed to. In Tara Westover’s 2018 memoir...
The truth behind the lights and cameras
By Jessica Conley, Carlmont High School
April 27, 2020
Oftentimes, what is depicted in Hollywood doesn't accurately reflect reality. However, people sometimes base their career aspirations on what they see in the movies, as they tend to believe that the careers depicted aren’t falsely portrayed. This industry began in the early 1900s when Hollywood...
A guide to the poetic side of rap: the underappreciated lingua franca of music
By Akif Abidi, Coppell High School
April 23, 2020
“Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world...And makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.” These are the words of Romantic era English poet Percy Blysshe Shelley. Since the dawn of time, poetry and music have held a special space in society. One could argue the...
‘Killing Eve’ returns with everything viewers expected
By Violet Jira, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 22, 2020
The game of cat and mouse is one we have seen a thousand times. From sophisticated dramas like “Sherlock” to Saturday morning cartoons like “Tom and Jerry,” the trope is everywhere and can sometimes seem as old as time itself. Nevertheless, BBC managed to take the dry narrative and spin it...
‘Uncorked’ finally combats the issue of self-determination in the black family
By Madison Meeks, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 17, 2020
The black community has struggled with the concept of self-determination since Reconstruction. We see this in the history books with Booker T. Washington, W.E.B DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X. The black community has overcome a lot of external injustices such as hiring and voting discrimination and segregation. W...
“The Timing Was Right”: Bob Dylan’s Newest Release Isn’t a Coincidence
By Emma Chiu, Woodside High School - CA
April 15, 2020
If you’re looking for a cheerful pop tune with a catchy backbeat, Bob Dylan’s newest song, “Murder Most Foul,” may not be for you. But, in darker times—such as the current coronavirus pandemic—the haunting ballad provides an unexpected comfort. For Dylan, the songwriter so talented he won ...
It took Vega four years to make ‘Decade’
By Janssen Transier, McCallum High School
April 9, 2020
When current math and computer science teacher Daniel Vega started work with lead vocalist Charlie Day on the six-track album Decade, the world was still mourning the deaths of David Bowie and Prince, Donald Trump was making the late-night talk show circuit, you could still find crowds of people in the park hunting for P...
Conan Gray’s tribute to teenage angst, ‘Kid Krow’
By Lily Langstaff, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 7, 2020
In case you weren’t around in the indie pop scene in Nov. 2018, 19-year-old Conan Gray debuted his first EP, “Sunset Season.” Flash forward to March 2020, and Conan, now 21, just released his first full-length studio album, “Kid Krow.” From his YouTube beginning, Conan has had an incredible...
Donald Glover Transcends Pop With New Album “3.15.20”
By Logan Roach, Middleton High School - WI
April 7, 2020
After four years of anticipation from fans, Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino has released his fourth studio album “3.15.20” on March 22, 2020. Following his last album “Awaken, My Love” which featured the hit single “Redbone,” Gambino abstracts himself even further from the top 40 pop...
Was “Self Made” the story of a black hero or another political agenda?
By Cameron Thomas, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 3, 2020
To me, black history is an endless story of resilience--telling, no matter how far we are set back, we will always find a way to overcome. To the makers of "Self Made," however, black history is an endless fight among self. Though this may be true to an extent, using the over-sensationalization of the...
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness has taken over Netflix
By Jaiman White, Baldwin High School - PA
April 1, 2020
In the craziness that has become the self-quarantine state of stopping the spread of the coronavirus, Netflix has released the docu-series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which has showcased crazy on a whole different level. The documentary focuses on the small but connected community of big...
‘Future Nostalgia’ is seamless combination of old and new
By Anthony Cesario, Coppell High School
March 31, 2020
With the release of Future Nostalgia on Friday, Dua Lipa has done a full 180 on the term “sophomore slump” and created one of the best pop albums of the last decade. Far surpassing the quality of her 2017 self-titled debut album, Future Nostalgia lives up perfectly to its title by recalling the glor...
Megan Thee Stallion give her fans a sweet treat with the release of ‘Suga’
By Violet Jira, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
March 30, 2020
Hot Girl Summer isn’t here yet, but new music from Megan Thee Stallion is! Nearly a year after the Houston rapper graced us with her first full-length project “Fever,” Megan has blessed us yet again, this time, with her album “Suga.” While this album was, by and large, very different from h...
Childish Gambino returns with mysterious album “3.15.20”
By Jack Ging, Lia Reichmann, Editor-in-Chief, and Saba Ali, Editor-in-Chief
March 30, 2020
On March 15, Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino) held a surprise premiere of his newest full-length album by streaming it repeatedly throughout the day on donaldgloverpresents.com. The following weekend on March 22, the album was officially released on all streaming services as “3.15.20” with...
‘Kid Krow’ offers a poignant look into Gen Z adolescence
By Anna Feng, Carlmont High School
March 25, 2020
What do you get when you cross Lorde's melancholy with The 1975's sound and Taylor Swift's songwriting skills? Why, Conan Gray, of course. Gray's newest album, "Kid Krow," captures both the intense highs and lows of adolescence, from having unrequited crushes to losing bonds with best friends. It...
Out Of His “Idle Town”: Review of Conan Gray’s “The Comfort Crowd Tour”
By Taila Lee, Woodside High School - CA
March 24, 2020
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA— Sad, soulful, and sassy, YouTuber-turned-pop-star Conan Gray is a rising king of dream pop with his down-to-earth lyrics, comforting voice, and growing fanbase. Gray took the world by storm with his debut EP “Sunset Season” at age 20, and his poignant performance at the...
Harley Quinn dismantles the patriarchy with ‘Birds of Prey: The Album’.
By Mason Montano, Pinole Valley High School
March 18, 2020
Following the success of American superhero film Suicide Squad in mid-2016, DC announced a spin-off centered around the character Harley Quinn, titled Birds of Prey, which was released in mid-February and sees Quinn assembling a team of female supervillains after finding herself in the face of dange...
Overcoming ‘Brain Pain’
By Rachel Laposka, Starr's Mill High School
March 16, 2020
Melodic hardcore is a genre not many people are familiar with by name. Deriving from skate punk, the genre incorporates sounds from punk rock and hardcore punk, blending harsh and gritty vocals with melodic guitar riffs. Bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engaged set the bar for the broad genre...
‘American Dirt’ book whitewashes experience of Mexican immigrants
By Jacqueline Barba, Downers Grove South High School
March 16, 2020
“American Dirt,” written by Jeanine Cummins proves that writing about experiences you can only imagine is never the foundation for good writing. The novel tells the story of Lydia and Luca, the wife and child of a murdered journalist from Mexico, as they attempt to cross the border to the U.S. Described...
Miss Anthropocene by Grimes – Review
By James Martini, Jesuit High School
March 13, 2020
In February of this year, Canadian artist Grimes released her fifth studio album, Miss Anthropocene, her first release since her 2015 album Art Angels. Her latest release features heavy, electronic sounds and dark, morbid lyrics and imagery to criticize the way people have abandoned their values in favor...
Can I steal for you a sec?
By Bella Grumet, Walt Whitman High School
March 12, 2020
When I asked my parents if I could watch “The Bachelor” during my freshman year, their answer was an immediate and definitive no. They believed the show promoted promiscuity and toxic masculinity; they wanted to shelter me from that kind of negative influence. Little did they know, I didn't need...
A Better Place
By Julia Poppa, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 12, 2020
I’ve had my fair share of existential crises: nights spent in bed staring at the ceiling wondering about the significance of my life and contemplating some of life’s most notorious unanswered questions. But what I have realized is that our biggest questions do not lie within the size of the universe...
EXCLUSIVE: That Kid spills the tea on his upcoming debut mixtape, ‘Crush’.
By Mason Montano, Pinole Valley High School
March 11, 2020
Last week, American singer-songwriter and hyper pop star That Kid officially announced his upcoming debut mixtape, Crush. The reveal was met with much excitement from the underground pop community, who had been looking forward to the project ever since he began teasing it late last year, and over the we...
Tame Impala returns with serendipitous “The Slow Rush”
By Riya Mehta and Amrita Himmatraopet
March 11, 2020
On Feb. 14, psychedelic rock musician Kevin Parker, more famously known as Tame Impala, released his fourth studio album “The Slow Rush.” Mysterious and echoey, the album begins with a fast beat and ominous tone on “One More Year.” Parker talks about living life to the fullest without any...
Jake Germain is the next best thing: A breakdown of his singles era.
By Mason Montano, Pinole Valley High School
March 5, 2020
Known for his Queer heartbreak anthems and extensive use of autotune for vocal effect, American singer-songwriter and producer Jake Germain’s career began when he uploaded his debut single, “Lonely Nights”, to SoundCloud in September 2016. He later gained some notoriety on the underground pop...
All this music must fade: modern albums of classic rock artists
By Owen Cummings, Walnut Hills High School
March 5, 2020
Music can be easy to forget. There’s so much of it out there that it’s impossible to listen to and certainly keep track of. Every artist has their high points, low points, a beginning and an ending. Some careers are long lasting, and some are over in a day. But those who have been lucky enough to...
Outta This World
By Kristen Kinzler, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 4, 2020
Some cowboys, a few aliens, one nostalgic love story, and a thrilling murder mystery. This may sound like something that resembles a bad joke, but it’s also a pretty accurate description of Roswell, New Mexico-- a show that may, quite literally, have it all. Roswell was originally a TV show tha...
Review: The Book Of Gutsy Women inspires readers
By Melissa May, Fossil Ridge High School
March 3, 2020
The Book Of Gutsy Women, written by Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was published on October 1, 2019, and it is a timely piece of literature revolving around the timeless social issue of feminism. The book is filled with more than one hundred stories of resilient and courag...
‘Honey Boy’ ain’t so sweet: Shia LaBeouf’s flawed return to Hollywood
By Ella Kitt, Flintridge Sacred Heart
March 3, 2020
“They’ve got cameras everywhere, you dummy! I’ve got more millionaire lawyers than you know what to do with!” yells a man from the backseat of a police car. An officer outside of the car calmly flips through a pile of papers. The man continues to scream. Many know him as Stanley from “Holes”...
When They See Us: Story of the incarceration of innocent boys
By Alishba Javaid, Coppell High School
March 2, 2020
After casually scrolling through Netflix and deciding to watch a new show recommended to me, I did not expect to become an emotional wreck the next day after binge watching it. The four-part limited series, “When They See Us”, debuted on May 31 on Netflix. The Emmy award-winning show is based ...
Nice While It Lasted
By Brooke Huffman, Wentzville Liberty High School
February 28, 2020
(Spoilers Ahead) In 2014, Netflix introduced the world to Bojack Horseman - an anthropomorphic alcoholic horse, weighed down by his own self-loathing - and on Jan. 31, he said his final goodbyes. This tragicomedy surrounding Bojack and his quirky cast of friends brings nuance to the adult animation...
Xenophobia in the music industry
By Zara Iqbal and Claire Yang
February 27, 2020
They broke Taylor Swift’s record for the most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours. They’re the first group since The Beatles to have three Billboard No. 1’s within one year. They’ve garnered the most Twitter engagement ever recorded on the platform, exceeding Harry Styles’ record. In 2019 alone,...
“Bedroom pop”- the young artists changing the music industry, and Generation Z, through self-production
By Evelyn Sampsell-Jones, St. Paul Academy and Summit School
February 26, 2020
People find magic in music because they are able to relate to it. This is the reason why different genres come into prominence as times change- the Silent generation (born 1925-1945) loved big band and jazz. Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) witnessed the beginnings of rock and the heydays of genres like...
Halsey unveils her inner mind in album “Manic”
By Lauren Chen and Harshita Neralla
February 26, 2020
Releasing her third studio album “Manic” on Jan. 17, Halsey reverts to her hollowed vocals and rebellious lyrics, finding creative solace within her own life and focusing on the person behind her persona: 25-year-old New Jersey native Ashley Frangipane. Incorporating concepts from her imagination,...
BTS Inspires and Dominates the World with Mature and Artistic New Album
By Laura Renfroe, Pelahatchie High School
February 25, 2020
The chart-topping, charismatic, and all-time biggest boy band in the world right now just released their new album, and it has thrown the whole continent in a frenzy of euphoria and Spotify-streaming. The record-crashing South Korean boy group BTS continues to stir the world and showcase their incredible...
Despite immense global impact, BTS doesn’t receive the recognition they deserve
By Caleb Stipkovits, Minneapolis South High School
February 25, 2020
International sensation BTS just dropped a new album, Map of the Soul: 7. The album, according to Forbes, sold over 4 million copies in preorders, and the total sales number has been increasing since its release on February 21st, 2020. The success of BTS is undeniable, but something feels like i...
The revival of nu-metal
By Rachel Laposka, Starr's Mill High School
February 24, 2020
Nu-metal is a genre that some argue died back in the mid-2000s as various bands began to hop on the bandwagon. Many of these bands over-produced albums claiming to fall into the metal subgenre, leading to the inevitable decline of nu-metal. The genre was booming from the late ‘90s to about 2000, following...
Look at This!
By Julia Poppa, North Allegheny Senior High School
February 24, 2020
Réka Götz is not your average, run-of-the-mill high school art student. While many of NASH’s students who study art are full of talent and aspiration, there may be none more talented than Götz. Götz is an 11th grader at NASH with a passion for visual art. She has achieved what most artists only...
Arnoldus: Why Angie Thomas’ New Book is “On the Come Up!”
By Linda Arnoldus, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
February 21, 2020
Angie Thomas has done it again. Her debut novel, “The Hate U Give,” became a #1 New York Times Bestseller, touching the hearts of many with its lovable characters and politically relevant commentary about the prevalence of police brutality in the African American community. “The Hate U Give” wa...
Once on This Island tour docks in Houston
By Arrington Linder, Clear Creek High School
February 21, 2020
After closing on Broadway in early 2019, Once on This Island embarked on a national tour in October later that year. As a part of their 2019-2020 season, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is housing the Once on This Island National Tour until March 1. The musical begins with the storytellers setting the stage...
‘High Road’: Kesha reclaims her spirit on fourth album
By Anna Drabik, Londonderry High School
February 21, 2020
Kesha’s career has been a long, winding path up a certainly steep mountain. From 2010’s party girl phase (Animal and Cannibal) to her raw, soul-bearing third album, titled Rainbow, Kesha has consistently delivered in all her musical endeavors, even with a troubled personal life. 2020’s High Road continues ...
Mercy in the Face of Injustice
By Maleah Downton, Notre Dame de Sion
February 20, 2020
“Mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given,” activist lawyer Bryan Stevenson wrote in his New York Times Bestselling memoir “Just Mercy.” Adapted to film by director Destin Daniel Cretton, “Just Mercy,” premiered Dec. 25, portrays one man’s resilient fight for justice...
Review: Tame Impala perfects his style in The Slow Rush
By Melissa May, Fossil Ridge High School
February 19, 2020
On Friday, February 14, Kevin Parker, better known as Tame Impala, released his fourth and newest album, entitled The Slow Rush. The album was his first since the release of his third album in 2015, Currents, and it immediately became apparent upon listening that he had a clear cut idea before even begi...
Sorry Scorsese, Marvel movies are cinema
By Rohan Dewan, Richard Montgomery High School - MD
February 17, 2020
The cinema has been an integral component of American society since the year 1895, when prolific inventor Thomas Edison developed the world’s first Kinetoscope, thus enabling the creation of the movie theater. His invention ushered in a new field of entertainment that would displace radio shows and...